Friday, November 30, 2007

*sorry about the poor quality, no scanner, so took the photo with my macbook.

First off, my suggestion to go see Santa right after picking up Sir Rowland from school was the most genius thing EVAH. I mean EVAH.

There was one tot sitting with Santa. One, and NO LINE. Can you believe that? No line.

This meant that Sir Rowland, and Pink Ninja got as LONG as they wanted with the big guy.

First photos. Done.

I might mention here, Pink Ninja remains under the weather. Ick...Sir Rowland is better. Pink Ninja, not so much. She is also grouchy and bossy when she is sick. Oye. So she was not so sure about Santa Claus. Sir Rowland, LOVES Santa, not a problem.

So photos taken. Not the greatest photo of Pink Ninja, but Sir Rowland...well look at his face. You also will note, Pink Ninja is all sick looking around the mouth, dry and pink from the constant stream of snot, and from tissues being smeared across her face.

So Santa gave them candy canes, and chatted with them for a bit about the wish list this year. I am not sure what Pink Ninja wants, but she did chat with him.

Before leaving I mentioned to Santa that today Pink Ninja was celebrating her birthday, and do you know what he did? He brought her over to his big chair and sang Happy Birthday to her. Santa sang Happy Birthday, loudly and proudly. He also gave her a tiny reindeer. WOW.

Then we went off to Build a Bear. A place frankly we have avoided as a one income home. But she had one request for her Birthday and it was a build a bear. Frankly we were ready to be hit pretty hard, due to the array of costuming and accessories these folks have to dress the darn bears with. But guess what? She picked out Rudolph the Red Nose reindeer. Guess what, Rudolph does not wear clothes. Easy and painless.

Then off to our favorite Chinese Eatery. It was horrible, no veggies. Ok a mushrrom and cabbage here and there, but no veggies. Ick. This is why I cook 21 meals a week at home. I swear.

We did have time to do a bit of window shopping, I found the snazziest skirt ever at Ann Taylor, Cream, and chocolate plaid. However they are out of their minds with the 98$ tag....to rich for my blood. do you know what I can do with $98 dollars? I can do some amazing stuff with that. I told the woman it had better be wool, which it was, but still. I will buy it when it goes on sale, or when someone knocks it off at a discount retailer.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

What happens this time of year, that makes time fly? I have been busy this week running around from here to there. With a child in school it seems as though there is always some paperwork that comes home that needs to be filled out. This week, it was the third field trip. This next one, is to a Christmas tree farm. It sounds like fun, and the day includes a hay rack ride, hot cocoa. DH will be going as a chaperone. Should be fun. There was also paying for the third quarter gymnastics for Sir Rowland and third quarter ballet for Pink Ninja.

I did manage to go through some of Pink Ninja's clothing. She has GROWN so quickly, it is amazing. She has outgrown all of her blue jeans, and is wearing her Brother's discarded 5T slims. She is a tall, and it is amazing. Normally I dress her in skirts and tights in the fall, and maybe I should continue to do so. Her little legs just keep growing.

Sir Rowland has been preparing for the Church's annual Christmas program. He had 3 songs to memorize, and is doing quite nicely, he loves singing. Last night we found out he will be the green King, and he has agreed to wear the costume, which includes a very ornate large hat. I am hoping to get a ton of photos. He will also be performing at the local long term care center in costume. I am pleased he has agreed to wear the costume, as he is not a fan of dressing up. He did so for AWANA, but declined to participate in trick or treating.

I got a call from Sir Rowland's teacher this morning, it seems as though he had a rough morning. Things have been going well for him, I am unsure what set him off in the wrong direction, but his mood is hard to turn when it is headed South. His Grammie sent him a big box of goodies yesterday, she included a little pack of Puffs tissue with Vicks in them. She wrote a note on the package that said "For Little Mans Backpack". Last night he took one out and smelled them and proclaimed his hatred for Vicks, and told me he did not want them in his pack. Well I guess he changed his mind at about 9am, when he was frantically searching for them while simultaneously having a meltdown about these Puffs with vicks. The teacher called for me to come get him, because he was so upset about these missing tissues. I explained to the teacher that they were currently on my table because he did not want them last night. I will tell you this, he processes things visually, so when he read the note on the pack, he probably forgot about the conversation with me, and just remembered that they should be in his backpack. Oye Vey.... I guess he settled down for the rest of the day, but geesh....Oh, and the tissues are in his backpack now.

Pink Ninja, turns 4 at around 3'ish this am. Funny, how I thought I would never forget the actual time. I will look it up in the morning. My baby is 4. She is 4, wearing a size 5T in clothing, and an 11 shoe. My baby is 4. She still looks teeny most of the time. Even with the new haircut she gave herself! Tonight i got to go Birthday shopping for her from her Grampanio. I managed to get a lot, with the money he sent. I even managed to get 2 pair fuzzy footed jammies! She will be toasty. She has been under the weather, and I am hoping she feels better in time for her birthday breakfast. There are big plans for the day. A trip to see Santa for the annual Santa photo and the "list". The one gift she will be getting from DH and I is a build a bear. That was actually her only request for months, and then a trip to the Chinese Restaurant for dinner, and home for strawberry cake and ice cream. She can write her name now, she can identify all letters. For a child of 4 I am amazed at her ability to read people's emotions. (I am guessing this is from living with a sibling whose mood dictates the mood of the house at times, which we try to avoid, but it happens). She can read emotions, and mood like no other 4 year old I know, she is also a very joyous child most of the time. She likes to run fast, and jump from high places, she has no sense of fear. And when I remind her of her that she has already broken her arms, and so she should be careful she will tell me...."Well I haven't broken my legs yet." Yeah she is going to give me a heart attack. and she remains one of the most gorgeous people I know, inside and out.

There are few moments in my life where I have sat back and soaked in what was going on. Probably out of self preservation, or just plain old fashioned being too busy. Idle hands and all of that...

There are a few moments I can recall where i have had to stop and soak. I have been reminded of them over the last couple of weeks.

This was during DH's absence, and I had gone back to my hometown to care for my Mother.

I was in the Suburban, and I cannot recall where I was going to or coming from. I was pregnant, very pregnant, and it was snowing. I am going to guess I was headed to the grocery store, or to see the midwife, as those were "the outings" in those days. But I can recall the moment, the intersection, the snow falling down in large wet flakes, and the traffic being heavy as it was Christmas and people were out running about shopping and preparing for the day.

A couple of weeks prior to this day, we had taken my Mother to yet another Dr. in another town to see what are options were. The options were running thin. She had just had her 4th or 5th MRI, the tumors that had disappeared miraculously, were now back. There were now 7 brain tumors to deal with. Radiation could no longer be done...and options. Well they just seemed far fetched and out of reach. Maybe we could go to MD Anderson and try the newest ablation therapy, but the cost involved was far beyond what all of us could manage, Plus I would have to pack up and live in a hotel with my ailing Mother who was requiring at least 2 of us to move her in and out of bed, or to the commode. There was no way I could cook for us in a hotel room, or afford living in a hotel. People kept sending us stories of miraculous treatments from all over the World. And frankly it was devastating, the logistics and financial part of curing my Mother...

The last Dr. told her in front of us all while staring at her X-rays that "you really need to make your final arrangements".....and we left his office. My Brother pushing my Mother in her wheel chair, my Mother swollen beyond recognition from all of the steroids to keep the inflammation of her brain down, allow fluids to flow from one ventricle to another. Her hair thinned, her color sallow and ashy. My Mother who had just turned 62...my beautiful Mom. And she looked at the Dr. and said.."well thank you". She looked at us and suggested a dinner out.

And as my Brother pushed her wheel chair, my Father and I lagged behind asking the Dr. exactly how much time we had. "30 days, maybe".

And I recall my Mother talking to my Brother and my Sister, my Father and I lagging behind eyes full of tears, unable to make anything out but shadows....but I could hear her voice. And I think I saw my Father's heart break, I saw his spirit sink, and I think we both could have cried for weeks.

And that moment in the car at the intersection, was one of the most painful I can recall. I had to realize that this Christmas would be the last with my Mother. There was no fixing 7 brain tumors. I had to sit at the intersection, and listen "Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas"...and I literally had to hand all over to God. I had no choice. I felt like I was going to grow out of my skin from pain.

And so when I wonder where my melancholy comes from this time of year. I do not need to wonder for very long...Christmas is a bitter sweet time for many of us. A time to celebrate, and a time to reflect.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

About 10-11 years ago, we had decided to trek across the country for Christmas. This was before children. I will not go into details, or name names, but we made the very costly trek, taking time off from work, which at the time was almost impossible. Particularly with DH working at the city/county jail, and I as a nurse. It was difficult getting time off from work. I think both of us were also in college at least part time.

So we made the trek halfway across the United States, with a Prime Rib tied to the roof of the Ford Explorer. It was cold, no one got food poisoning.

We spent the holiday on a couch under mortician certificates. No one died, we were spending the holiday at extended families immediately family who is in the business of taking care of the dead.

It seemed surreal at the time, and it remains the strangest Christmas I think I have ever had.

So the family Christmas photos from that year are family lined up on a couch under morticians certificates.

Certainly I am not the only one that is preparing my kitchen for this grand holiday. I asked others to share they're favorite recipe's, in the comments, in a post, or send them in an email!! WOW. There are a lot of recipes to try here folks!

So get the flour, eggs, chocolate, and some counter space, because here we go!!

There is toffee, mounds candy, snickerdoodle cookies and more! A recipe for "totally easy caramel corn", which looks delicious, I get so hungry for caramel corn, and I am definitely making this! I think it also makes a great gift for neighbors, teachers etc.

Shakey Pete, takes the time to steal one of Linda Lou's recipes, instead of reloading ammo!! Actually it is a family recipe called Grandma Hagen's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. For the record Oatmeal Raisin cookies are the most requested cookie in this house. I also never feel bad feeding them to the children because, after all there has to be less sugar in them than most "kids cereals", which I rarely buy. Linda Lou's recipe looks yummy, and I will make these at some point.

A Rose By Any Other Name, also submits several recipes!! All of her cookies looked fantastic, and she includes her family favorites! However one caught my eye. Buckeyes!! I have had these several times, but have never made them. THESE are delicious candies, and if my memory serves me correctly, they are a FAVORITE, everyone's loves these peanut butter and chocolately bits of heaven. These will be made this year!

The Lemon Stand, has done her Christmas baking this year, and even sent the goodies to her DH who is proudly serving our country. She has photos, and an extensive list of recipes. This includes, banana bread, peanut butter cookies, molasses drop cookies (which sound like they would be good with tea and coffee), and a great recipe for Ginger Bread People. Which just happens to be on the list of things to make!! I think The Collective will have fun decorating these little people, and they love the story of The Ginger Bread Man. Plus biting the head off of a cookie, just screams Happy Holidays!

Sissy, from And What Next submits Mud Cookies. Which have to be easy, because Sissy does not as a rule "cook". There are not many ingredients in these, and they have chocolate in them. Everyone wins. She also submitted one of Tammi's favorite "cheater cakes", called Turtle Cake. I have never been privy to the cake, but I have heard all bloggers give it rave reviews!!

G.R.I.T.S.(girl raised in the south) includes a couple of recipes. Now I will say this, I know this lady can cook, as well as the rest of her folks. Her kin were on their way through here a few weeks ago, and man oh man did they ever SURPRISE us with the biggest of goodies baskets. Delicious.

Boston Maggie, decided to play along, although she claims she is "a fly by the seat of your pants type of cook"...She calls this Cookie Pizza. This recipe looks easy, and includes a cookie crust chocolate chips, and caramel...yeah...I thought you would like that. This would be the perfect thing to take to an office party. Although, if you do, take the recipe with you, people will ask for it. Yummy.

LadyGunn sends this recipe called "Everything but the Kitchen Sink" cookies. They have toffee in them!! How yummy is that. She also makes the suggestion that these be used with ice cream in the center!! Twist my arm!!

Sarah from Trying to Grok, has a recipe that is sure to please your loved one while deployed or at home!! She has even gone as far to name them "Terminator Cookies", after receiving a note that said this...

"I used to be bamboozled by the Terminator paradox...You know, Reese being the father of John Connor but also being sent back by John Connor? Well, now I'm bamboozled by your cookies. How the heck did you make those? They were incredible. I couldn't figure 3 cookies 16 ways, so I ate 'em all myself."Now that is advertisement, for a cookie, is it not? Go ahead and give the recipe a gander, it is a good one.

My Blog Momma, Tammi played along. The recipe for Pepermint melt away, takes 2 ingredients, and is pretty on a plate. I have not had any for years. Something to do with the candy canes people are sure to send to the collective!

In addition to that easy recipe, she also put up a Chocolate Charlie recipe, 3 ingredients folks!! You can have your own Christmas candy in no time at all!! I love these recipes, because they are simple, and take little time!! You will feel guilty if you do not make any.

Stay tuned folks, due to such a high level of participation, I have part 2 coming up before the weekend!!

We here are at Casa De Dust, are on the verge of new beginnings, and what was exciting has turned to anxiety. The irony is not lost on me. I promise.

It is frightening to shake things up, for those of us who like routine.

And I have to remember this.

There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.~Nin

Change is frightening to many of us.

Going back to work. Frightening. Particularly for someone that has been out of the work force for 5 years. I have always been confidant at my trade. But now, after 5 years. Wow. The possibilities are endless. I actually have to go into work and be the new girl. I have to look "new", heck I have to be new. Ick. That horrifies me. I have to learn names of people, where things are located, others routines.

Working will also certainly shake things up here on the home front, I am sure.

We also have an impending move. When? Hopefully when school is out. A move, particularly after 7 years means going through things, packing, sorting, and saving money.

We, are a National Guard family. We will be lucky, if this relocation is paid for. The last move was not. Chances are we will have to pay for it out of our own pocket. That is frightening. There are a lot of other things that are frightening about a move. Looking for a house, another job, schools, Drs. Frankly the idea of a move, seems to have me paralized right now. Which is silly. There is no choice in the matter.

So I am currently living in 2 Worlds. One which I am ready to leave, and the other I am about to enter.

I need to move my feet one step at a time right? Because the unknown, as exciting as it can be, it can feel like quick sand.

Monday, November 26, 2007

Fall has arrived here in the Mid-South. The temps are finally dipping consistantly into the 30's and 40's. Brrr. My tolerance for the cold is nothing any longer, and it seems once I get chilled it takes hours for me to get warmed up again. How I will ever tolerate long Nebraska winter is beyond me.

It seems as though the sounds of virul illness and allergies permeate our home. Sniffle, snort, blow, cough, for hours. The sound of my own ill children is going to drive me crazy. I am serious. I am not sure how much more I can take it.

First Sir Rowland was sick for about a month, I took him to the Dr. to find out he is probably immune to his current allergy medicine so we had to switch medications, and then we picked up some filthy nasty bug while at the DR. And now BOTH children are ill. Pink Ninja with the worst of it. Coughing and hacking all hours of the day and night, eventually climbing into bed with us. Ughhhh.

I am unsure what sort of virus this is, but the symptoms are just annoying enough to freak me out, but I do not think ANOTHER trip to the DR. would help.

I am also amazed at how little my children sleep, and I am sure if they slept more, they would feel better.

DH and I managed to get a lot of things done around the house, even though we took naps this weekend.

It is pitch black here by 5:30pm. I mean black. I do not like that one bit.

We had the pleasure of company last night. Jerry from Back Home Again stopped in for dinner. He did not have bibbed overalls on, and we did not get the hay vs. straw demonstration, because we are from the sticks. We even know what a fire # is, that is how rural we are.

I will send you to Jerry's farm posts here, because the stories about his Dad are the most hilarious on the planet.

We managed to get him in the house despite all of the Christmas boxes being drug out.

Friday, November 23, 2007

Last night after the children went to bed, I finally decided to put in the HBO movie Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.

I was very interested in watching this account of the events. I was disappointed almost immediately.

I guess I should not be surprised at the many historical inaccuracies.

I would not dare recommend this movie to anyone that wanted to know about the events surrounding Wounded Knee, or the massacre that took place on Dec 29, 1890. A brief chronology of events can be found here, and here

I would ask that you read Dee Browns book Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. This should be required reading for Americans.

One of the most horrifying aspects of the massacre at Wounded Knee has to be the inflammation of events by the MSM at that time.

The term yellow journalism was coined in the 1890s to characterize this new trend in news reporting. Named for R. F. Outcault's popular comic strip, which featured a yellow-robed character named the "yellow kid," the term refers to the circulation war that arose between Hearst's New York Journal and Pulitzer's New York World. The competition began when Hearst, determined to lure readers from Pulitzer's paper, hired Outcault away from the World to draw for the Journal. Pulitzer responded by commissioning a new cartoonist to draw a second "yellow kid" comic. Soon, the war between the two largest New York newspapers became a competition between two "yellow kids," and the term "yellow journalism" was coined to describe the sensationalist, irresponsible journalistic tactics the papers adopted in their attempts to outsell one another.

The Sioux writer Charles Alexander Eastman learned first-hand the potentially devastating impact yellow journalism could have on already tense situations. When the Ghost Dance movement was gaining momentum on the Pine Ridge Reservation, Eastman hoped to diffuse the anxiety the spiritual movement caused in white reservation authorities by assuring them of the non-threatening nature of the dancers' activities. Instead, rumors of a possible Indian attack--rumors started mainly by irresponsible journalists--increased the white authorities' fears. Eastman lamented, "of course, the press seized upon the opportunity to enlarge upon the strained situation and predict an 'Indian uprising.' The reporters were among us, and managed to secure much 'news' that no one else ever heard of." The reporters' specious news stories fueled an already fraught situation that eventually culminated in the tragic massacre of 150 Sioux men, women, and children at Wounded Knee in December 1890.

When thinking about Wounded Knee, I cannot help but think of the dangerous rhetoric behind gun control either.

There are photos of the day here.*they are graphic in nature. And not safe for children.

I woke at about 6:45am, put the turkey in the oven and went back to bed. DH was a darling and got up with The Collective.

I finally crawled out of bed around 8'ish, and noted Pink Ninja looked funny.

All before finishing a cup of coffee....

AWTM: "Darling, did you cut your hair?"

Pink Ninja: staring blankly at me.

AWTM: "DH, did she cut her hair this morning?"

DH: "I don't think so."

AWTM: "I think so, PN, bring the scissors, and then find the hair, and bring it to me:"

Pink Ninja: hands over scissors, and a patch of hair.

*So you know, it is time for the family annual photo for Christmas cards. Of course it is.

Pink Ninja, seemed embarrassed by her efforts, so I told her that I too had cut my hair, DH had also cut his hair when we were tiny. DH also explained that it never looks good when you try and do it yourself. DH then explained to her, that is why we go to professionals to get our hair cut.

*Of course, it is right in front. Of course.

The new garbabge disposal has water leaking around it.

*Of course on the day where I have more dishes than any other day of the year.

WE had a lovely prayer before the delicious meal. I am successful, the meal tasted just like my Moms. We missed our family. We asked for God to watch over those we could not be with. It occurred to us, that today was probably the last Thanksgiving as a a "foursome". Next year we probably will be surrounded by family, at least we hope so.

While at BlogWorld, I was discussing the following phrase with others...

Benjamin Hawkins, and the phrase would be correctly written as 'God willing and the Creek don't rise'. Hawkins, college-educated and a well-written man would never have made a grammatical error, so the capitalization of Creek is the only way the phrase could make sense. He wrote it in response to a request from the President to return to our Nation's Capital and the reference is not to a creek, but The Creek Indian Nation. If the Creek "rose", Hawkins would have to be present to quell the rebellion. I believe that the phrase is somewhere in his preserved writings.

Monday, November 19, 2007

This Hollyweird writers strike has not affected our house. In fact Sunday night at 10:00pm we realized, we had not had the TV on at all through the day. Not once. Saturday it might have been on for an hour.

We did manage to watch How The West Was One this week, which was excellent I had not seen it in ages. The rafting scene was hard to watch, almost embarrassing that technology was that bad. But a good movie. I have been trying to be better about the netflix, and not picking one sad or horrifying based on real life events flick after another.

It is hard, there is a lot of crap to sift through in movie land.

Sir Rowland's school has decided to go on lockout this week. Some stomach/GI bug going round. I got an e-mail today saying "no school tomorrow". So he will be home, and maybe the 3 of us can go for a hike, or fishing in the morning. He was thrilled that he has an extended break THRILLED.

Today is the day. I must go get my turkey. The good news is, turkey is 48 cents a pound. The Thanksgiving meal is my favorite meal to prepare EVER, it is also my favorite meal to eat. Plus it is an easy meal.

Our menu is easy once again. The only time consuming part of the meal is the cranberry salad, which is ground whole oranges, walnuts, celery, and apples.

I am always amazed that people get confused about cooking a whole turkey. So I will give tips to make it fool proof.

Hint (figure 2 pounds a person at least)

First off, most of us cannot afford a "fresh turkey". I wish we all could, but unless you know someone that has a turkey "farm", or have $60 plus dollars to spend on a turkey...well frozen seems to be the way.

I also swear by cooking turkey in those reynolds cooking bags. No basting, and does not dry out.

If you have a good roaster, good for you. I do not. So I end up buying those disposable aluminum roasting dishes. (hint BUY 2, and use both) Also use a cookie sheet underneath, or you will have a mess.

After the turkey is thawed, clean turkey well, remove any stray pin feathers, wash with baking soda and water, inside and out. (remove giblets and neck from carcass, slow cook these with celery tops, onion, butter, mushrooms and chicken broth and use for your dressing) Then use olive oil mixed with butter and slather the entire turkey. Insert some celery, a stick of butter, an onion, and carrot in the cavity. Salt and pepper the inside and the outside.

Follow the directions on the cooking bag, and toss the turkey in the bag. Easy, done.

When you place the turkey (that is in the bag) into the roaster place it breast side down. This is a fool proof way to keep the breast meat moist.

For turkeys up to 20 pounds, roast for 15 minutes a pound -- an 18-pound bird should roast for about 4 1/2 hours. Roast larger birds for 12 minutes a pound. A stuffed turkey may require an extra buffer of 30 minutes. Take the temperature of the bird as well as the stuffing. Oven temperatures vary, as do farm fresh turkeys, so begin checking for doneness about 30 minutes before the turkey is expected to be done.

I know some people swear by basting etc. Frankly I do not, I do not want to babysit a darn turkey all day. The method of cooking it in a bag will free you up to do other things.

Most frozen turkeys have that little red "turkey is done button". Otherwise, use your meat thermometer.

Turkey is not difficult to fix, it takes less time than frying a chicken. Do not be intimidated.

Oh and do not throw any juices, or drippings away, this makes delicious gravy. If you need an easy way to make gravy, well I will tell you about that tomorrow.

Sunday, November 18, 2007

It suddenly struck me that tonight is the night they are celebrating Pink Ninja's birthday at AWANA. She turns 4 next week.

My baby is 4. My itty baby, with the teeny pink cap, is going to be four. She is tall, she is currently in her Brother's old 5 slim jeans. She is all legs, smart as a whip, and pleasant. She continues to be one of the most joyful people I know. She smiles when she runs in the yard.

When we returned morning service, I had and cupcakes to make. Thank God for Duncan Hines mixes, and pre-made frosting in cases such as these.

Friday, November 16, 2007

You see a lot of strange things in Las Vegas, particularly if you are a hermited housewife, whose weekly outings consist of library, commissary, church, and the gas station. Vegas gets a 10 on the freak scale.

I was in Vegas about 7 years ago, and boy have things changed.

First of the excessive nature of the place was shocking. I know, it is Vegas, get over it, but seriously I felt like a Grandma in Vegas. People do not dress normally there. There are 2 ends of the spectrum in Vegas. The crafting housewife from Nebraska that made her own sweatshirt applique with her bedazzeler, tennis shoes, visor and a fanny pack, and then you have hooker. I will not go into details here, think hooker. Oh, and some people are probably not hooker, but I guess hooker clothes must be "in" this year. Lets just say the showgirls are not the only people putting on the show in Vegas. There were trannies too. I saw them out. I also saw a lot of zoot suits. I am sure the milblogging guys were glad they did not pack theirs from home, because you never want anyone to wear their purple zoot suit when you have yours on. That is just plain embarrassing.

Oh, and it was also very International, I never once was on the elevator, or cab with anyone "American". It sort of felt like I was at the Dulles airport. Representing in Las Vegas. the English, Austrailian, Irish, German, French, Chinese, African, Brazillain..wowzers. I had a lot of fun with my "let me guess where your accent is from". I got about 85% right.

I do not think Vegas is a family destination. I do not get "that". I saw lots of strollers in The Excalibur, very late. Too late. I am not sure if strollers belong in a casino. It seemed strange.

Speaking of strange, I ran into Chris Angel while in Las Vegas. I did not recognize him right away. He appears much bigger on tv. He is actually quite teeny. (I am 5 7 and in heels I was taller than him, I am also going to guess I weigh more than he does, which is simply a testament to how much i like to eat, and my metabolism. His hair is very over processed and he was wearing mascara. He had his baseball hat on all mcsideyways, which is a pet peeve of mine. (I actually think mcsideyways hats are ok, as they seem to announce your douche bag status for you.) But I digress again. Anyway this 20-something kids was so PUMPED to see him, he was thrilled, and recognized Chris Angel immediately. I mean this kid was thrilled. Well of course Chris angel was not alone, he was actually surrounded by what I will assume was body guards, security, however they were all smaller than Chris Angel. The kid tried to be quiet about recognizing him, and whispered "where did you get your hat, and when Mr. Angel answered the kid said quietly, "can I have your autograph?"

This is where the story gets good. Mr. angel could not produce a pen. Which frankly should be an easy trick if you think about it. Especially for someone that is can levitate.

Anywho, Mr. Angel and his staff proclaims they do not have a pen, and they do this loudly, well of course this attracts a crowd, and then there is an ok for "pictures", which creates a whole scene. So of course I am trapped amoungst all of this weirdness. Seriously cracking up because I kept thinking, "the dude couldn't even magic up a sharpie?" Mr. Angel was not really gracious about his fans, he was a dick. And then one of his guys, and Mr. Angel walk up to me and ask if I want my picture taken with him. I seriously would have liked one of his failure to produce a pen, but I declined with a "no not really". He wasn't really that nice.

Vegas is a strange place, it made the blogworld expo appear even nerdier than it was...

Sir Rowland has been ill with one form of runny nose/cough/mattery eyes for about a month. He now is typical kid genius looking. Pale skin, head in a book, refusing candy, dark circles under in his eyes, and looking troubled.

I cannot for the life of me get him to wash his hands frequently, or use a tissue or stop picking his nose, oh or cover his mouth. ICK.

I have explained ad naseum about the advantage of all of the above, and have explained to him all about his immune system. He has known all about t-cells, and white blood cells since the age of 28 months or so.

It is frustrating beyond belief. The kid is doing fantastically in school, and has taught himself how to read music, is doing simple algebra, has such good abstract thinking skills he is frightening the rest of us. (what other 5 year old draws his lemonade stand sign complete with cubes, instead of ice squares?) But he insists on picking his nose.

I think I am going to have DH print off some simple hygiene tips for the kid, however, with his sort of obsessive compulsive nature I am afraid he will turn into Howard Hughes overnight. (not joking here) However, he is not processing the information through auditory process, and I am going to have to get him a print out from the CDC, or some other frightening agency to scare him from being a germ factory.

Tomorrow I am taking him to the Dr. in the am, (thank God my office is open on Saturday until noon), because he is just not getting over whatever ails him.

If I could convince him how disgusting picking his nose is.....problem would be half solved.

UPDATE: showed him this article about how nose picking could lead to death. He has not done it since, and is already diplaying Howard Hughes tissue hoarding behavior...

Please join us Thursday, November 15th, at 2:30pm EST as SpouseBuzz authors discuss the book of the month Ben Stein's The Real Stars with featured guest Ben Stein, live on SpouseBuzz Radio.

Mr. Stein, wrote a popular column called Monday Night at Morton's which featured the piece called The Real Stars. A piece that went viral on the Internet in 2003. I recall getting the column sent to me in at least 15 emails, while my DH was serving in Iraq. I, for one was not surprised at the content of the message, but the messenger. Such support is typically not garnered from the mainstream media, or Hollywood.

Mr. Stein's biography is one of the most impressive to date. He is an economist, and an attorney. He was also a speech writer for Gerald Ford and President Nixon (although, is quick to point out the "I am not a crook" line was not his). He continues to be a syndicated writer for the Wall Street Journal, Barron's, The Washington Post and several other publications.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

I immediatly called my friend in a panic. I was concerned that she was in danger. (my mind is dramatic is it not?)

Turns out....

he family of CPL Dustin Lee need the Milbloggers help. They have crossed their t's and dotted their i's and still no LEX.

Please spread the word and please sign the petition to help retire Lex to Dustin's family in Mississippi.

Most of you probably know by now who CPl Dustin Jerome Lee is. For those of you who do not, please take the time to read a little more about him and view photos of him at Remember CPL Dustin Lee

In a nutshell-

Dustin was a K9 War Dog Handler and MP who was killed in Iraq on March 21 2007. His K9 Lex survived but with injuries.

He received shrapnel wounds to his body, almost lost his tail, and to this day still has shrapnel lodged near his spine. The Veterinarians opted to leave this shrapnel in place as to not risk damage to Lex's spine.

Since Dustin's death the family has tried diligently to get Lex adopted to them so that they may care for him. Lex was of course the last (person) to see Dustin alive.

Even before the incident of the RPG that killed Dustin, Lex was destined to retire upon returing from this tour in Iraq. The family has waited patiently for the last remaining part of Dustin to arrive home...and they are still waiting.

Upper-body fat has negative effects and lower-body fat has positive effects on the supply of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids that are essential for neurodevelopment. Thus, waist-hip ratio (WHR), a useful proxy for the ratio of upper-body fat to lower-body fat, should predict cognitive ability in women and their offspring. Moreover, because teenage mothers and their children compete for these resources, their cognitive development should be compromised, but less so for mothers with lower WHRs. These predictions are supported by data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Controlling for other correlates of cognitive ability, women with lower WHRs and their children have significantly higher cognitive test scores, and teenage mothers with lower WHRs and their children are protected from cognitive decrements associated with teen births. These findings support the idea that WHR reflects the availability of neurodevelopmental resources and thus offer a new explanation for men's preference for low WHR.

"Mom, forget about the conference, and go play games. You are in Las Vegas." (I do not gamble, unless someone gives me money to do so, or there is nothing better to do. I tend to like Blackjack.)

"Mom, that picture you put on the internet? Not a real rabbit, it was a human."

He seriously cracks me up.

DH was left alone with The Collective for the longest time ever. He even out shined me, by taking huge, delicious Monster Cookies to Sir Rowland's class. (I have not done this yet.) They were delicious cookies.

I am sure all of my readers thanked a Veteran over the last 2 days. In fact I know you did, I am sure you did, and that is why I love you guys. I also know you gave to Valour IT (if you could). And if by some chance you couldn't I know our Veterans can count on you at a later date and time.

How my Husband spent Veteran's Day? Well he went out to the deer lease, not much in the way of deer though, so he came home early. Snuggle time with AWTM, and I made him guacamole.

He did get a Veteran's Day card from my Sissy, and that was sweet.

When I was growing up in my little cow town, and I heard the word Veteran, I immediately thought old, for some reason.

To those of my readers who have served our great Country, I thank you. You are our finest, and we owe our existance to you.

Hope however, is not a method. So, like I've learned from the new movie Robots, which my kids seem to watch at least twice a day, “see a need, fill a need”. I know how much it means to the guys who are stuck lying on their backs, unable to use their hands to so much as scratch. Being fed, bathed, taken care of like an infant—not exactly a fitting role for a warrior who's used to being the one who helps others. It sure as hell wasn't a role that I wanted, although there were many people who came to see me who helped. I've never asked a stranger to scratch (and even pick (Thank you so much Lisa)) my nose. I doubt that I would now, but I was a lot more medicated (and a lot less able) then. At that time I had no use of either hand. I know how humbling it is, how humiliating it feels. And I know how much better I felt, how amazingly more functional I felt, after SoldiersAngels provided me with a laptop and a loyal reader provided me with the software. I can't wait to do the same, to give that feeling to another soldier at Walter Reed.

FBL has these suggestions, as to where to post them!! Most importantly, obtain permission folks!!Suggestions for Flyer DistributionBe sure to get permission if necessary. But once you know it's okay, try the following places:

Grocery storesPlaces of worship (church, synogogue, etc.)VFW halls and other offices of veterans' organizationsThe community bulletin board in your workplace lunchroomCommunity events like Fall Festival, Halloween parties, etc.Vehicles that display "Support the Troops" magnets/stickersAny business that gives you permissionShare them with co-workersCommunity organizations like Boy Scouts, Shriners, Business clubs, etc.

*Oh, and before I forget!! Go ARMY, go kick some post office ass. I mean Air Force and Navy ass....

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Before I forget, I will remind you a hooker tried to pick Andi and I up at Caeser's Palace. That is just strange. I think it was a female, but it is hard to tell in Vegas.

In addition to that little ditty. There was a half naked female in the restroom at Excalibur. (I am sure she was a hooker as well) walked in and about fainted. Seriously. She really had no shame. She was having trouble getting back into her dress, which was actually like 4 strings and a 4cm. piece of fabric.

Instead of just turning around and leaving, I tried to help tie her back up into this thing...

(mind you I had a couple of vodka tonics on board.)

I think I need to learn how to say no. But I seriously think my Midwestern niceness, and my "Momness" kicked in. I mean I would not have wanted this girl to catch cold, or trip on one of these strings.

A few years ago, I started seeing news articles about under-funded Veterans’ healthcare programs. Then, there were stories about older Veterans who lay in bed day after day, never receiving any visitors. Reports started surfacing on TV about the severe injuries sustained by our troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The more I heard about the uphill battles of our Wounded Warriors, the more convinced I was of the need to produce a project that would bring in funds to support all of our hospitalized Veterans.

My late Grandpa Lou served in the army for 4 years during World War II. I wanted to do something to honor his name. I always loved the romance of those bygone eras - especially the 1940’s - and I drew inspiration from the World War II pin-up girls, whose photos and paintings boosted morale for our soldiers fighting overseas.

Thursday, November 08, 2007

(Looks like I had my ass handed to me HERE, but thank you all so much for voting. Dooce was very hard to keep up with, as I think she has 900 x's the traffic I do)

First off, I need to move to a hipper, more "hub-like" city. As my flight to Las Vegas took like 7 hours. 7 hours of me not being able to sleep, because I was also in a short bus plane.

I think I have seen more hookers in the last 4-5 hours than i have seen, my entire life. Not kidding. Even more than than that odd drive in Memphis. Although I must say, Memphis hookers you really need to start dressing nicer for work. Interestingly, Andi and I were approached by one last night. Where is a video camera when you need one?

I wore sneakers last night, in case we had to run from the cops. I think Blackfive said something about a bond card, but for some reason I am always afraid Uncle Jimbo will get us into some sort of trouble. Oh and I got to meet, the elusive "Wolf" from Blackfive.

It was nice being invited out to dine with several bloggers. I would have put DH to shame, as I did not pack my leatherman or a knife, and had to borrow one from Armed Liberal over dinner.

Dinner guests, the usual suspects it seems. However, there were a few new faces at the table. Vodka Pundit was at the other end of the table.

Oh and ladies, I did get to meet BW, so sweet, and funny and did not seem nervous at all, she acted like an adult and everything.

We are not in jail yet. I would encourage people to set aside $1 just in case.

BTW, hotels do not have free internet any longer. WTF is with that? So my posting will be very lite indeed.

Oh and damn it to hell, I packed my camera last night, and was all set to take photos . When to my surprise, I find, I forgot to take the battery out of the charger and put it in the camera....huge dork.

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Monday, November 05, 2007

Blogging will be odd over the next few days. I am planning on live blogging the sessions I go to, but who knows.

DH is here, pray the collective are kind to him.

He can watch man movies this week.

I recieved a bit of sour news today....I hear it comes in 3's. I hope not, in this case 2 bits of sour news is about all I can stand.

I have still not heard a peep from Nickelodeon, Viacom, or anyone ellse for that matter. Micheal Medved, and Laura Ingram both covered the Nickelodeon scandel on the radio this week. However, it got buried.

In good news I did note that Linda Ellerbee's production company was here for over 2 hours snooping around this past Friday, as was Viacom.

Sunday, November 04, 2007

What a wild week here at AWTM, and honestly almost impossible to keep up with. Seriously.

First off, I have completed my CEU's, and my first responders courses. I have a small amount of paperwork to fill out and I am done. It felt very natural to hop back into that mode of thinking. I am still nervous...

Then, we have the Valour IT fundraiser. I would encourage all of you to join this effort, it is for a good cause. Run off some flyers and put them up in your gym, community center, church, VFW.

There is BLOG EXPO in VEGAS! I will be attending to be on the Homefront Panel with fellow SpouseBuzz contributors Andi, and Sarah(who is newly pregnant, and ill). SSM, will be joining us as well, and I will be thrilled to speak with her. And new military spouse blogger Butterfly Wife will be on the panel as well, we are all looking forward to meeting her. We ladies, will be on the milblogging track sponsored by military.com. I am looking forward to speaking on this panel, and nervous as well, because this will be my first non-military audience, and I will have to be very clear and concise, and represent us all well. I do wish DH could have came with, but he is going to keep the fires burning here, and take care of The Collective. The children are looking forward to having Daddy be "at home". As always I am looking forward to the fellowship that comes with mil-blogging community, as well as being entertained by Uncle Jimbo.

There are also The Weblog awards, in which SpouseBuzz was nominated as well as AWTM.

Thursday, November 01, 2007

I cannot recall winning anything. Well there was the radio call in ate the age of 5, in which I called in and said this "2 all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun." I won a Big Mac, which I think my Mom ate. I have won a couple of centerpieces at dining ins. However, I gave them to other people as the babies were small, and they were ponsettias. I thought The Collective might eat the entire plant.

It was fun being nominated again.

I also need to mention that SpouseBuzz, although we were hoping for best community blog, was nominate in the milblog catagory, and is in fantastic company.

There are a lot of catagories to peruse, and sadly most of my nominations did not make finals.

It was hard to get us moving here at the Casa this morning. I think we were all suffering with some sort of sugar hang over. No one wanted to get out of bed, we were all sluggish.

Sir Rowland decided he did not want to go to the harvest party at church. I do not want stupid candy, stupid games, besides, who is going to pass out candy. So I stayed home with him, and we consumed garlic popcorn, with butter and watched movies. We also passed out candy. Much less than years prior. Usually we pass out to about 80-120 children. This year 30-40. Sir Rowland did get to use the candy bowl, that a skelton hand pops out of and says "want some candy". He got a kick out of that, and ensured the trick or treaters that, "it was not real".

Pink Ninja and Daddy had a night out at the Harvest Festival. Pink Ninja wore a Cinderella dress that lit up at the touch of a button. She did not take her tiara. She was adorable, because she loved the candy part. When they got home I had to take her around our block because she wanted to "go trick or treating". Six houses, I kid you not, and she came home with a loaded bucket.

I am sending some with DH to work. I do not need this much candy here. I do not have that sort of will power at all.

I packed Sir Rowland his lunch tody and packed candy. He didn't eat it. He might be the only child I know that does not like candy.

After posting my concerns about Nickelodeon and the programming DH noted at 5am, I have received many e-mails.

First off, this may interest you. Linda Ellerbee has her own production company called Lucky Duck. From the Lucky Duck site, I read this...

Linda Ellerbee first achieved recognition as a national political reporter, then as the Emmy award-winning anchor of NBC News Overnight and ABC's Our World. After leaving the networks, Ellerbee and Tessem began Lucky Duck in 1987 by producing episodes of Smithsonian World for PBS. In 1992, after producing several children's specials for Nickelodeon, the idea for a weekly news magazine show for kids was born. "I wanted a show that encouraged kids to think and to question," Ellerbee said. Nick News, now in its fifteenth year, has won every award traditionally associated with adult programming, including four Emmys and three Peabody Awards (plus a personal one for Ellerbee and Nick News' coverage of the Clinton investigation) and a duPont Columbia Award.

Note the Nickeldeon program "Rebels with a cause", featured a piece re: protesting our Nations administration, and calling our Military men and women tortures and killers. The organization featured is called World Can't Wait.

World Can't Wait is organizing people living in the United States to take responsibility to stop the whole disastrous course led by the Bush administration. We seek to create a political situation where the Bush administration's program is repudiated, where Bush himself is driven from office, and where the whole direction he has been taking U.S. society is reversed.